Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

35-1011 Chefs and Head Cooks

Occupational Description:
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2026

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Minnesota	1,730	301	$32.98/hr	$23.86/hr	$26.16/hr	$30.86/hr	$37.45/hr	$47.27/hr

Leading Industries for Chefs and Head Cooks

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Manufacturing	30	$50.72/hr
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	30	$31.30/hr
Professional and Business Services	30	$48.59/hr
Education and Health Services	170	$26.55/hr
Leisure and Hospitality	1,420	$31.02/hr
Public Administration	50	$46.93/hr

Other Regional Data for Chefs and Head Cooks

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	20	$26.59/hr	N/A
Northeast Balance of State	30	$40.47/hr	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	30	$27.15/hr	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	30	$29.60/hr	N/A
Fargo ND-MN MSA	40	$26.81/hr	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	40	$29.83/hr	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	60	$28.74/hr	N/A
Southwest Minnesota	70	$30.46/hr	5.4%
Northwest Balance of State	70	$30.46/hr	N/A
Northwest Minnesota	90	$30.26/hr	7.1%
Southeast Balance of State	90	$28.37/hr	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	90	$30.82/hr	N/A
Northeast Minnesota	90	$26.55/hr	6.8%
Duluth MN-WI MSA	100	$27.99/hr	N/A
Central Minnesota	110	$30.66/hr	7.4%
Southeast Minnesota	160	$28.42/hr	6.3%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	1,190	$31.21/hr	7.4%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	1,280	$31.17/hr	N/A
Minnesota	1,730	$30.86/hr	7.4%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Food Service Managers	730	$39.02/hr	-0.1%
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	20,760	$22.32/hr	7.2%
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	7,890	$21.43/hr	4.1%

Task for Chefs and Head Cooks

Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
Check the quantity and quality of received products.
Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.
Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel.
Record production or operational data on specified forms.
Meet with sales representatives to negotiate prices or order supplies.
Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.